Beijing has so many famous sites that it’s not surprising that its largest temple is somewhat overlooked. But the Yonghegong Lama Temple is still impressive, being a rare instance of a Tibetan Buddhist building that blends both Tibetan and Chinese Buddhist architectural aspects.
Built in the late 17th century during the Qing Dynasty, Yonghegong was initially the residence of an imperial prince, before being converted into a lamasery, a monastery for Tibetan Buddhist monks. I visited it twice- during my first week in Beijing when I came to work there, then a couple of years later when I brought a friend visiting from Trinidad.
The temple is always full of worshippers and tourists, and saffron and red-clad Buddhist monks can be seen walking around as well. Unlike some other Chinese temples, the commercial aspect is toned down so there isn’t a bunch of vendors and stalls in the temple ground. While the worship halls and the largest building, the three-storey Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses at the northern end, are all interesting, the most fascinating aspect of the temple is the exhibit of small Buddhist statues, specifically deities wrapped up in erotic Tantric coupling.
Across the street from Yonghegong temple in a nearby lane is the Imperial Academy or Guozijian, a former imperial college for officials. As the name implies, it was the highest place of learning in the country and was used for training and testing officials throughout the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Built in 1306, making it older than the Yonghegong temple by centuries, the Guozijian is also worth a visit and is a quieter place than the Yonghegong Temple. Inside the ground is also the Confucius Temple, the second-largest such temple in the country.
Outside the temple, there are a bunch of fortune-telling and Buddhist paraphernalia stores along Yonghegong street, as well as sadly, numerous beggars, some of whom are handicapped and missing limbs. It might be different now, but back then, there was always a lot of them on that street.
Yonghegong Lama Temple
Yonghegong temple always sees a lot of visitors, especially worshippers burning incense
One of the several erotic Buddhist tantric statues on display
Main hall of the Imperial Academy or Guozijian
For some reason, there was a set of these statues put aside 
